What’s on my iPod: “Blood Bank” by Bon Iver
What I’m reading: Hell or High Water by Joy Castro
The last person I followed on Twitter: @AppsPlayground
Joy Castro, aouthor of “Hell or High Water,” was featured on GoodReads. Joy discussed her writing process, her inspiration for her new book and what she has in the works. “The most surprising thing I’ve learned is that I can do it! I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was a small child. I’ve always written stories. Having them published and critically well received is a lifelong dream come true,” said Joy when asked what has been the most surprising thing she’s learned throughout her writing career. Happy pub week to Joy, “Hell or High Water” was just released on Tuesday. Be sure to take a look at the rest of her interview with Good Reads and pick up a copy of “Hell or High Water,” part of our Summer Reading Challenge!
MORE ABOUT JOY:
Born in Miami, Joy Castro is the author of the novel “Hell or High Water,” forthcoming in July 2012 from St. Martin’s, and the memoir “The Truth Book.” She teaches literature, creative writing, and Latino studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and her work has appeared in Fourth Genre, Seneca Review, and The New York Times Magazine. Her grown son plays in a band in Oregon, and she lives in Lincoln, Nebraska with her husband and foster daughter, and their cat.
2. How Book Publicity is Like a Zip Line
Our very own Crystal was featured on Writer Unboxed, comparing 3 ways how book publicity is like a zip line. “I now know why so many writers retreat to the mountains – to cabins, to lakes, to nature – to write their books. I was inspired by the views, the sounds, the smells so much that I wanted to write a book! But rather than channel my inner-Hemingway, I channeled my inner-adventurer.” Crystal said that 2 ways book publicity is like a zip line is that it’s in the (personal) approach, guidance and a leap of faith. “Before you know it, the ride is over. There is a lot of anticipation, anxiety, and worry that exists building up to a book launch and then before you know, it’s over. Will you look back and say, “That was an awesome adventure” like my son did after he zip lined or will you be like me and regret that you sat on the sidelines taking pictures and didn’t go for it with all you had?” Take a look at the rest of Crystal’s awesome Writer Unboxed post.
3. The Listen Up Awards
One of our prior clients, Jon Reiner, was chosen as one of the best audiobooks by Publisher’s Weekly. Jon’s book, “The Man Who Couldn’t Eat,” was read by Dan John Miller. “It was another great year for audiobooks. In 2011, we saw close to a 10% increase in unit sales (per the Audio Publishers Association 2011 Sales Survey) and many outstanding performances that are likely to remain with us well into the New Year. Of the hundreds of audiobooks PW reviewed this year, here are the best of the best.” Congratulations, Jon! Take a look at the rest of the winners for the 2011 Listen-Up Awards.
MORE ABOUT THE MAN WHO COULDN’T EAT:
Imagine not being able to eat or drink a single thing. No lobster roll on the beach in Maine; no hot dog at the ballpark; no cool drink on a hot summer day; no birthday cake; nothing. In The Man Who Couldn’t Eat (S&S/Gallery Books: September 6, 2011), Jon Reiner – a James Beard Foundation Award-winning writer –chronicles his three-month struggle to live without food. Based on Reiner’s acclaimed 2009 Esquire magazine article by the same name, the book reinvents the foodoir, telling what happens when a man obsessed with food is denied the taste of it. A beautifully written chronicle of one man’s journey from plenty to deprivation and back again,The Man Who Couldn’t Eat will change the way you think about more than just your next meal.
4. Four Stars for ‘Where Do Balloons Go?’
Jamie Lee Curtis’ new interactive book app, “Where Do Balloons Go?” for Auryn was featured by USA Today, and they rated it 4 out of 4 stars! “Jamie Lee Curtis, says she was “blown away” by the process of turning her print book Where Do Balloons Go into an interactive book app. “This is the most cutting edge and creative venture I have ever been involved with and I’m so pleased that it captures the inherent poignancy of the story of losing a balloon and all the emotions that it brings,” says Curtis.” Take a look at the rest of the story in USA Today.
MORE ABOUT WHERE DO BALLOONS GO:
Your child’s imagination will soar with this magical storytelling app! Rich interactive experiences they’ll return to time and time again! Jamie Lee Curtis’ beloved book has been re-imagined and transformed into a breathtaking interactive experience that lets you follow a balloon on its imaginary journey after it’s accidentally released from a little boy’s grasp. This app has been specifically designed to provide hour after hour of entertainment and creative play.
5. Superb Review for Hell or High Water
Michigal Mom gave Joy Castro’s “Hell or High Water” an amazing review! “At first glance, Nola is a tough, confident and independent party girl with a full social life. She is determined and driven. But as her research gets more and more intense, pieces of Nola are pushed to the surface, despite her best efforts to keep them buried. The complexity of her character is intriguing and keeps the story interesting.” Check out the rest of this fantastic review.
MORE ABOUT HELL OR HIGH WATER:
Nola Céspedes, an ambitious young reporter at the Times-Picayune, catches a break: an assignment to write her first full-length crime feature. While researching her story, she becomes fixated on the search for a missing tourist in New Orleans. As Nola’s work leads her back into dangerous corners of the city, she finds herself faced with an even more compelling question: Who is Nola Céspedes? Vividly rendered in razor-sharp prose, this psychological thriller is a riveting journey of trust betrayed—and the courageous struggle toward recovery.
“Hell or High Water is more than just a mystery; it’s a heartfelt examination of a second America—poor but undaunted—that was swept under the rug but refuses to stay there.” –Dennis Lehane, New York Times bestselling author of Mystic River
“In the tradition of P.D. James, Ruth Rendell, and Lucha Corpi, Joy Castro shows how mystery can be much more than the unraveling of crimes concealed. An irresistible and compelling novel.” –Lorraine M. López, author of Homicide Survivors Picnic and Other Stories
Leave A Comment